Sunday, June 13, 2010
Some get boil water notices
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–Monsoon-like rains fell all across North East Texas Wednesday night and Thursday, causing local flash flooding around Cedar Creek Lake.
Flooding caused water outages in the subdivisions of Oakridge Shores, Hillcrest Shores and Bonita Point, and also the rural residents, East Cedar Creek Fresh Water Supply District general manager Bill Goheen said.
“This caused us to issue a ‘Boil Water Notice’ until further notice,” Goheen said.
“The flood washed out the ditch of a water main. Now we are trying to locate the water line,” he explained.
However, the lake level is still high and the district needs to wait until the water goes down before they can locate the line.
“Once the water resides, we will continue our investigation to find the break and make the necessary repairs,” Goheen added.
For those customers who are without water, the district is making a temporary connection with the city of Mabank.
The restoration should have been completed by noon Friday, he said.
No other serious problems were reported Goheen said.
“We have had some power outages on some lift stations, but all are back in service now,” he added.
A total of 12 inches of rain was recorded at the wastewater plant, Goheen said.
While West Cedar Creek Municipal Utility District personnel said they only recorded approximately 9 inches, they said the recording was made between midnight Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday.
The heavy rainfall also affected residents in the Gardens of Mabank apartment complex in Mabank.
“The water started coming in through the back wall around the windows and the foundation, resident Debbie Edwards said.
The complex is making arrangements for the residents to stay in a motel.
No major issues were reported in Kemp and Tool.
Flooding was more severe north of Mabank.
Muirhead Trucking, located on U.S. Highway 175, had employees move several trucks out onto the concrete driveway as the gravel parking lot filled with water and then flooded.
Two automobiles, parked overnight, will probably not start, since water has reached the electrical wiring.
County, Terrell to share EMO center
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KAUFMAN–Monday, Kaufman County Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement between
the city of Terrell and the county to establish joint use of an Emergency Operations
Center (EOC).
“The city of Terrell has a facility and we have the equipment, five laptops and other
items necessary to maintain communications in an emergency,” Kathy Morris, Emergency
Management Coordinator said.
“It will help both jurisdictions moneywise,” she added.
The EOC will be used by city and county leaders in the event of an emergency that either
damages or requires the moving of communications network to another location.
The move could be instigated by weather events, fire a terrorist act or other serious
events, it was explained.
In other business, commissioners:
• heard Precinct 2 Commissioner Ray Clark was absent due to the death of his brother.
Condolences were expressed.
• approved the purchase of two dump trucks for Precinct 2, at a cost of $79,450 each
through the purchasing co-op used by the county.
Purchasing agent Jack Sebastian said Commissioner Clark will receive about $60,000 back
(trade-in) on one of the trucks.
• approved the purchase of lateral shelving to be installed in the old library to
maintain required county records.
The approximate cost of $16,000 will be paid from District Clerk’s Record Management
Funds.
Those funds can only be used for the maintaining of records.
• approved the renewal of the county tax abatement guidelines and procedures.
While there is no current requests from any incoming business for any abatements, the
approval keeps the guidelines in place for another two years, just in case, commissioners
heard.
• approved filling vacant felony and misdemeanor assistant district attorney
positions which occurred due to the resignations of Brian Corrigan and Tracy Booker.
An in-house promotion for David Floyd names him as misdemeanor prosecutor and outside
hirings will fill remaining positions.
• approved a budget transfer in the District Attorney’s office taking from line
items, office supplies $2,000 and $4,000 from oil and gas to make a transfer of $6,000 to
Legal & Investigative.
• approved other budget transfers as presented by county auditor Hal D. Jones.
• paid bills totaling $526,497.71.
• heard County Judge Wayne Gent explain he will be asking department heads to make a
10 percent cut in their budgets for the coming year, as they did last year.
However, some expenses will have to be considered such as the sheriff’s department is
faced with a need for new cars, he added.